Vacation Pictures Episode 3

It's no secret that I love taking pictures of clouds and sunsets. So this post really just couldn't be helped.


The sunsets on Oahu didn't really cooperate with me too well. The first picture up there was taking while driving around there one day, but we didn't really catch any great views on that island.


The other three pictures were all taken on Maui. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to catch a sunset since it rained a lot, but it always seemed to clear up just before the sun started going down. We didn't see any really spectacular, calendar-quality ones, but I'm quite happy with the shots I ended up with since I was able to enjoy them with my family.


Okay, so I didn't post once a week, but I still got 4 posts for the month of January! That counts, doesn't it? I'll work on discipline throughout February I guess. I've still got a round of photos from the trip that I want to post. Also, I've been gearing up for a convention in March where I'll be selling the chainmail jewelry I alluded to in a previous post. So I'll have a bunch of pictures of the pieces I've finished so far that I'd like to blog about.

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Now playing: Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
via FoxyTunes

Chrono Trigger

I'm a big fan of role-playing video games. Especially 2D, 3/4-view ones. Chrono Trigger, originally released in 1995, is one of my favorites. Definitely top 3. So when I heard news that it was being re-re-released for the Nintendo DS, I was quite excited.

I've been playing it for a while now, and I've noticed some things that I really like, and some things that I'm not too keen about.

The good:
The art and gameplay are as good as ever. The animated cutscenes created for the PSX re-release have been included. The menu system doesn't take 5 seconds to load (this happened in the PSX version - not sure if it was just my copy but it was annoying). The use of the dual screens and touch screen is good. The battle menus are displayed below and can be operated by touch, but are still easier to use with the buttons.

The new content is neat. The first addition is a sort of minigame where you raise a monster and use it to fight in an arena. Your monster grows stronger through training, with more available areas being unlocked as you visit them in the main game. The battle system is fairly simple, with attacks going off automatically. Special attacks are triggered by giving your monster an item between rounds, which it may or may not use based on a "Trust" score. You can battle against the game or with a friend through DS wireless connection. Winning a bout versus the game will net you a prize - some of which are actually quite powerful.

There are also two new dungeons full of side quests. It's basically the same area in two different ages, so most of the quests involve travelling back or forth in time, acquiring an item, and taking it back to the right person. Semi-repetitive, but there's a decent storyline involved and some excellent rewards to be had.

The bad:
Really not too much to say here. As I mentioned above, the arena can hand out some extremely powerful prizes - I got a Prism Helm and Dress well before the Ocean Palace. I opted not to use them so as not to upset the balance of the game. The extra levels and equipment from the two new dungeons made the game play like I had powerleveled, which I really tried to avoid this time around.

The really big thing that irked me though - the retranslation. I didn't have any problems or complaints with the original translation, so I have no idea why they decided to change it. Names of techs and combos are almost all different. Personally, I think Triple Raid sounds a lot cooler than the updated "Triple Attack." A lot of the dialogue is changed as well, some of it to the point that the original feeling is lost. I remember when adding Magus to the party from the end of time, he'd say "Now we've got a winning team!" Now he spouts off something about not hesitating to kill everyone if they get in his way. I'm not sure which version took the creative liberties, but I really would have preferred it wasn't changed. It just feels like a betrayal to the spirit of the game to me.

All in all, I have no regrets in re-re-purchasing the game. Chrono Trigger truly is one of those timeless titles. I have no doubt that every generation of RPG players starting from the original release onward have been and will be captivated by the deep storyline, rich characters, amazing gameplay, and beautiful artwork and music.

And hey, maybe if SE gets enough good feedback from CT they'll finally make Chrono Break! One can hope...

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Now playing: Chrono Trigger - Battle With Magus
via FoxyTunes

Blog Anniversary

Wow, it's already been a year since I started this? And this is only the 38th post... Well, like I said in my last entry, hopefully that's going to change this year. Anyway, happy birthday Blurred Lines!


I've started working on a new layout for the blog. I wanted to have it ready for today, but my weekend was a lot busier than I anticipated. My brother is involved in mixed martial arts and had a fight on Saturday, which he won. He's actually quite good. From what I heard, there was a professional scout in the audience who talked to my brother's trainer about him. Exciting stuff.


This round of pictures is composed of general scenery we saw in Hawai‘i. I'm never satisfied with my photos because they never quite capture the scene as I remember it, but I guess that's the difference between looking at pictures and actually being there.


The most exciting thing we did in Hawai‘i was probably the snorkeling trip. The weather didn't hold out for us to go parasailing or take the giant zipline down a mountain. My dad bought a disposable underwater camera, but the pictures sadly didn't turn out too well. The company running the tour rented out nicer cameras, but it seemed kind of expensive and I really didn't know what to expect. Next time though, I'd definitely shell out for the rental.


I got a lot more familiar with my camera on this trip. I played around with the settings a lot more, and quite a few of my photos benefitted from the experimentation. I think it's fairly evident in the pictures for the next round - sunsets, clouds, etc. A lot of the shots were taken several times, all with different settings. It really gave me a feel for how things turn out just slightly differently with all the different options.


Anyway, thanks for reading, and hopefully this next year will be loads better than the last!

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Now playing: ai otsuka - Birthday Song
via FoxyTunes

Holiday Season Recap

-Statue of King Kamehameha I-

Hope everyone had fun over the holidays!

-Germaine's Luau Dancers-

One of my resolutions for the new year is to blog more. Looking at my post count for last year, I think at least one entry per week is doable. They might be shorter posts, maybe a few without pictures, just discussing current events or linking cool sites, but I would like to have more content here. Also! The blog turns a year old on the 12th! How exciting is that? I feel like I should do something special.

-Germaine's Luau Firedancer-
This was taken with the "Fireworks" setting - lots of light and long exposure.
They turned out to be some of my favorite pictures of the whole trip.

Anyway, the big news is that I spent Christmas with my family in Hawai‘i! We did visited some relatives and did all kinds of neat things. Lots of shopping and beach time, but we also went to a bunch of parks, did some snorkeling, attended a luau, and generally had a wonderful time.

-Manoa Falls-

I'm not sure how many pictures I actually took as I deleted ones that weren't that great as I went, but I ended up with about 500. I've got a bunch that I want to post, so I'll break them up into several posts. This one will be the more tourist-y type photos. The other categories will probably be landscapes, sunsets, and flowers.

Burger King serves Spam for breakfast!
It was delicious

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Now playing: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - E Ala E
via FoxyTunes